Social communication in crisis situations: The case of Ukrainian media, 2022-2025

The aim of this study was to assess communication mechanisms within the media space during the full-scale Russian aggression (2022-2025). A comprehensive methodology was applied, combining institutional and narrative analysis as well as a detailed case-study approach, focusing on the materials of leading media outlets, state institutions and fact-checking organisations alongside the examination of regulatory documents. The principal finding of the study was the identification of a dialectical tension between high social resilience and decreasing democratic accountability within crisis communication practices. The research demonstrated that Ukrainian media provide rapid information updates and strengthen social cohesion through a patriotic framing and convergent journalism (the speed of Telegram and X combined with verification). The study also revealed internal pressure on independent journalism through SLAPP lawsuits and self-censorship, which undermines its watchdog function. A significant information gap was identified: despite the achievements of the Centre for Countering disinformation and the Centre for strategic communications at the macro-level (international narratives), their effectiveness at the domestic micro-level remains limited due to low adaptability to “meso-news spaces”. The study further substantiated the role of methodological hybridisation in fact-checking practices. The findings indicated that overcoming this paradox requires a transition from a centralised to a network-based communication model and the elimination of technological divides and democratic deficits. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that its results may be used by stakeholders to strengthen Ukraine’s informational and democratic resilience under wartime conditions